Garment package



July 10, 1962 FIGB N M. SH E N K E R GARMENT PACKAGE Filed March 18,1960 Armen/Ex Stats l This invention relates to packages.

An object of this invention is to provide a package comprising a garmentor other cloth article in a bag of transparent, flexible plasticsheeting shaped to conform to the outline of the garment or article, andhaving a restricted opening at one end.

Another object of this invention is to provide a package oftheicharacter described comprising a stiiener lying on the cloth articleor inserted into the garment and engaging shoulder portions thereof andhaving a portion projecting from the garment providing a hook or handle,with the -bag having portions engaging around the hook or handle toprevent the stiffener from falling out of 3,043,423 Patented July 10,1962 ice l or hanger yor in the hand hole of the handle. The bag orenvelope may comprise two thermoplastic sheets between which the garmentis placed and said sheets may be cut to shape and heat or electronicallysealed or fused together -all around the garment and stiiener except atthe opening.

place into the 4bag or garment, and serving to hang up the garment orfor carrying the package, and also preventing the garment from fallingdown in the bag.

Other advantages and features of my improved package may be summarizedas follows:

The bag protec-ts the fuzz or knap on the material, highly important-When packaging sweaters. In former packages using rectangular plasticbags, the garments would drop or bunch up in the bag and would not lieflat. In the improved package, if the garment has sleeves, the bag hasextending portions closely receiving the sleeves, so that the garmentdoes not shift around in the bag.

One can see the garment through the transparent bag, and feel the fabricthrough the open end without removing the garment from the shielding orprotective bag.

The restricted portions at the ends ofthe open end of the bag help keepthe bag from hiking up on the garment. I

The bag, in accordance with the invention, is preferably snug on thegarment to help keep the garment from shifting.

The bag avoids marring of the garment by permanent folds. When thepresent package is folded, the plastic bag folds with the garment andprevents sharp folds, as the garment folds over the plastic, and whenthe package is then flattened by unfolding, there is no crease or sharpfold in the garment itself. In former packages with rectangular bagsthat did not follow the irregular' shape of the garment, the garmentwould often fold on itself because the bag was not held flat on thegarment, anl also because of the tendency of garments to bunch and shiftin the bag. With my improved package the garment lays at and the bagconforms thereto, and will fold therewith and the garment will not foldwithout the bag.

In prior packages using rectangular bags or envelopes, the garmentsoften had to be folded before inserting into the bag, thereby causingcreases which do not come out when the garment is unfolded.

The `garment can be seen without damage to the garment by handling,fingering or dust.

By sealing the bag to aprojecting portion of a stiiener or hangerinserted into the garment at the neck, and having means to engage theshoulder of the garment, the garment cannot fall in the bag. Thisstiffener may be in the form of a hanger to hang up the garment with thebag thereon.

The lower end ofthe bag extends beyond the lower end of the garment andcan be left open for aerating the garment and to prevent -air from beingtrapped in the Another object of this invention is to provide a strong,rugged and durable package of the character described, which shall berelatively inexpensive to manufacture, attractive in appearance and yetpractical and eicient to a high degree in use.

O-therobjects of this invention will in part be obvious and in parthereinafter pointed out.

The -invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will beexemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which thescope of invention will be indicated in the following claim.

FIG. .l is a top plan view of a garment package embodying the invention,with parts broken away;

lFIG. 2 is a side edge view thereof;

Y FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view'taken on line 3--3 of FIG. l;

FIG. 4 is a partial, enlarged cross-sectional View taken on line 4-4 ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a partial, enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 5-5 ofFIG. l;

FIG. 6 is a partial top plan view of Aa garment package embodying theinvention and showing a modification; and l v FIG. 7 is across-sectional View taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, 10 designates a garment packageembodying the invention. "ine same comprises a garment 111, here shownfor the purpose of illustration in the form` of a sweater, it beingunderstood that the invention may be applied to any garment, such as ashirt, Waist, jacket, neck-tie or any other garment having an irregularshape, or to any article of merchandise made of cloth or other fabric.The garment 11 is preferably unfolded and lays at. The article may haveone fold lor -a minimum of folds. Said garment 11, as shown, has a body12 formed with a neck opening 13, is open at its lower end 14, and isprovided with sleeves 15. Inserted into the upper end of the garment isa stiffener 16 of cardboard or any other suitable rigid or semi-rigidmaterial.

The stiffener 16, as shown in FIG. l, has Wings 17 engaging beneath theshoulder portions 18 of the garment. Said stiffener also comprises ahooked portion 19 projecting up through the neck opening 13 of thegarment.

Said garment `and stilfener are eneveloped or contained in a bag,envelope or shield 25 which may be made of transparent or translucentflexible thin sheet thermoplastic material such as polyethylene.Preferably, the bag 25 comprises top and bottom superposed sheets 26fused at their outer edges 27 by heat or electronically all around thegarment '1,1 and hook 19, except for an opening 28 at the bottom. Thelower open end of the bag preferably extends beyond the garment.

Thus, the sheets 26 are fused at the sides of the body 12, as at 30;around the sleeves 15, as at 31; over the shoulders 18, as at 32; andaround the hook 19, as at 33. The shee-tsare also sealed or fused as at35 at opposite ends of the opening 28, beneath the outer ends of thelower edge of the garment.

Thus the stilener cannot fall down in the bag and also keeps the garmentagainst the upper end of the bag.

The package can be laid ilat on a counter or table or hung up on a rack,or carried (the hook serving as a handle). Portions 17 help to keep thepackage flat and stiften the package.

The opening 28 allows air to get into the package and allows feelin-gthe fabric.

The garment may be seen through the bag which keeps the dust out andprotects the knap or fuzz on the garment.

-In FIGS.` 6 and 7 there is shown a package 10a embodying a modifiedform of the invention.

In FIGS. 6- and 7, the garment 11a has sleeves 15a and a collar 40.

inserted into the neck of the garment is a cardboard stiiener 41 havinga portion 42 in the garment, portions 43 engaging beneath the collar,and a poriton 44 projecting up through the neck of the garment.

Por-tion 44 has a hand hole 45.

The garment and ystiffener are enveloped in a bag 50, also oftransparent synthetic, thermoplastic sheet material, comprisingpreferably flat top and bottom sheets fused all around the edges of thegarment and stiffener except at the bottom, where it has an opening likeopening 2S of FIG. l, and sealed portions at the ends of said openingslike portions 35 of FIG. l.

The top and bottom sheets are also fused together as at 5i all aroundwithin the hand hole 45 of .the stiffener, so that the stiffener cannotfall down in the garment.

It will thus be seen that there is provided an apparatus in which theseveral objects of this invention are achieved, and which is welladapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and asVarious changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth,it is tobe understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in theaccompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

I claim:

As an article or manufacture, a garment having a body with shoulders andsleeves and a neck, said sleeves extending outwardly, a bag of syntheticplastic sheeting enveloping the garment and having portions followingclosely the outer outline of the neck and shoulders and around andbeneath the underside of the outwardly extending sleeves o-f the garmentand the sides of the garment below said sleeves, whereby the garment isprevented from readily falling within the bag, a garment hanger withinthe bag having portions engaging beneath the shoulders of the garment,said hanger having suspending means extending through said neck of thegarment, and an opening at the lower end of said bag to permit manualinspection of the garment.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS CanadaDec. 10, 1957

